This invention relates to a valve seat and closure member assembly of flush valves for flush tanks and the like, and more particularly, to such an assembly which may include a unique and separately usable closure member structure, a unique and separately usable valve seat structure, and a unique valve seat and closure member integrated assembly. The valve seat may comprise two, concentric, sealing ring portions, one of which seals with a closure member during initial use and the other of which joins in such sealing during later use providing an overall improved sealing function. The closure member may be comprised of a rigid frame which is removably telescoped in an improved secure manner by a resilient material closure portion and a sealing surface on the closure portion is retained securely against the valve seat by the rigid frame in the closure member sealing position, thereby again providing improved sealing characteristics. In the integrated assembly, the valve seat and closure member are preferably hingedly connected providing continual guided alignment for the closure member in its repeated opening and closing movements relative to the valve seat, and such integrated assembly in the preferred form may be installed in a flush tank solely supported and attached by the assembly valve seat either as a flush tank original assembly or as a replacement assembly.
Generally, the water storage in and the water flow into and from usual flush tanks such as the flush tanks of toilets in households, is controlled by a ball cock assembly and a flush valve assembly, the ball cock assembly controlling the water flow into and the maintainment of a water level within the flush tank, and the flush valve assembly basically controlling the flow of water from the flush tank in a flushing operation of a connected toilet bowl. The ball cock assembly is comprised primarily of a float controlled inlet water valve connected in communication with an inlet water line, the ball cock being opened by downward movement of the float upon the exit of the water from the flush tank by actuation of the flush valve assembly and being closed by the float when the flush tank is refilled and the float reaches a predetermined maximum upward position as determined by the flush tank water level. The flush valve assembly is primarily comprised of a selectively operable exit water valve located at the lower extremity of the flush tank and in closed position, working in conjunction with the ball cock assembly to maintain the desired water level within the flush tank, but in open position, permitting the flow of water from the flush tank downwardly through the toilet bowl for the flushing operation.
Specifically, the usual flush valve assembly may include an overflow tube portion and a valving portion which are interconnected by a flush valve seat portion. The flush valve seat portion usually consists of a tubular part opening downwardly through the bottom wall of the flush tank in communication into the toilet bowl to be flushed, the tubular part having an upper open end spaced slightly upwardly within the flush tank with such upper end serving as or directly underlying a valve seat. The flush valve seat portion may be formed integral with the flush tank itself or may be formed by a separately secured and sealed tubular part.
The overflow tube portion of the flush valve assembly is usually formed by an upright metal tube having an upper open end spaced above the normal flush tank water level. The overflow tube lower end is usually secured to the flush valve seat portion for rigid mounting of the overflow tube within the flush tank and this lower end is connected in closed flow communication with the flush valve seat portion below the valve seat forming upper end of the flush valve seat portion. Thus, the overflow tube communicates in closed flow communication at all times from its open upper end spaced above the flush tank normal water level downwardly through the overflow tube into the flush valve seat portion below the valve seat forming part thereof and downwardly through the flush valve seat portion freely into the connected toilet bowl and the water flow therethrough is not controlled by the valving portion of the overall flush valve assembly.
This means that regardless of open or closed positioning of the valving portion of the flush valve assembly, if the water level in the flush tank should rise above its normally intended maximum water level, for instance, as a result of malfunction of the ball cock, such flush tank water level can never rise above the upper open end of the overflow tube since the water will flow freely downwardly through the overflow tube and from the flush tank into the connected toilet bowl. This overflow tube thereby regulates and positively determines the maximum water level that can be attained within the flush tank regardless of ball cock failure and continued inlet water flow preventing water overflow of the flush tank proper. The overflow tube is additionally used to receive a predetermined quantity of water from the ball cock to refill the toilet bowl to a predetermined level during normal operation of the valving portion of the flush valve assembly in the normal manner.
The valving portion of the flush valve assembly and with which the principles of the present invention are involved includes the previously described valve seat formed by or formed sealed on the upper open end of the flush valve seat portion, and a closure portion mounted movable toward and away from the valve seat. In all prior flush valve assemblies, to our knowledge, the closure portion of this valving portion has always been mounted movably guided by the rigid overflow tube, such overflow tube being mounted adjacent the flush valve seat portion extending upwardly adjacent the valve seat so as to be convenient for such purpose. The prior closure portions have either been mounted directly vertically movable through guides projecting out from the overflow tube or hingedly movable by hinged connection thereof directly to the overflow tube, in either case, movable toward and away from the underlying valve seat at the upper end of the flush valve seat portion to open and close the valving portion of the flush valve assembly.
In general operation of the valving portion of the flush valve assembly, with the flush tank filled with water to its normal level and the closure member moved downwardly sealing against the valve seat on the flush valve seat portion, manipulation of the usual flush actuating lever of the flush tank through a chain connection raises or moves the closure member upwardly away from the valve seat permitting the flush tank water to flow downwardly through the now open flush valve seat portion and through the toilet bowl. Upon the raising of the closure member upwardly away from the valve seat, flotation means provided in the closure member retains the same upwardly until the flush tank water level approaches the level of the valve seat, at which time, the closure member through its flotation means follows the water level down to the valve seat gradually closing the closure member onto the valve seat. At the same time, as the valving portion of the flush valve assembly is approaching and carrying out its closing operation, the lowering of the water level within the flush tank has caused the previously-discussed ball cock float to move downwardly sufficiently for actuating and opening the ball cock admitting water into the flush tank for refilling the same to its predetermined and ball cock controlled water level once the valving portion has closed.
One of the major difficulties with the prior valving portions of the flush valve assemblies has been the problem of establishing and maintaining proper sealing of the closure portion with the valve seat. As pointed out, in the prior assemblies, the valve seat is permanently established and maintained at the upper end of the rigid flush valve seat portion and the closure member necessarily co-operable therewith to establish the proper valving action is guided on the upright overflow tube, there being no direct connection between the valve seat and the closure member other than the mounting connection between the flush valve seat portion and the overflow tube. In the installation of the closure members of the prior flush assemblies, therefore, it has been somewhat difficult to establish and maintain the exact proper alignment of the closure members with the overflow tube in order to establish and maintain the necessary proper alignment during closure member movement toward and away from the valve seat.
If the closure member of the flush valve assembly does not close and seal watertight against the valve seat after every flushing action, water leakage through the valving portion will occur between such flushing actions. This not only creates a waste of water, which can be considerable over a period of time, but also creates a noise problem which can become quite irritating. With a constant water loss from the flush tank through the valving portion of the flush valve assembly, the water level in the flush tank gradually decreases and ultimately the controlling float of the previously-described ball cock drops to a level sufficient to actuate the ball cock and admit a sufficient amount of water into the flush tank to refill the same to its predetermined intended water level. The inflowing water into the flush tank creates noise and if repeated frequently, it becomes an irritating noise.
Even after proper alignment has been accomplished between the valve seat and closure member in the flush valve assembly, after repeated use over a period of time, the closure member can become worn and distorted so that improper leakage begins to occur. This requires replacement of the closure member in order to re-establish the proper valving function. Thus, with the prior flush valve assemblies, the alignment problems are again encountered and similar difficulties presented.
Still further, in view of the fact that these flush valve assemblies are constantly immersed in water, the well-known consequences of water-corrosive action and sediment buildup occur to the surfaces of the valve seat and closure portion of the flush valve assembly. If these corrosion and sediment buildup actions ultimately require replacement of the closure member, the above-discussed replacement and re-alignment difficulties are presented, but these same corrosion and sediment buildup actions can take place on the valve seat surfaces and although they will ultimately cause similar unwanted leakage problems, the solving of such problems involves different difficulties. If valve seat replacement is required and the valve seat has originally been formed as an integral part of the upper end of the flush valve seat portion, replacement can only be accomplished by replacing the entire flush valve seat portion or by installing a replacement valve seat overlying and sealed to the original flush valve seat portion, either of which again presents the alignment problems. Similar replacement and alignment problems are also presented if the original valve seat is a separate valve seat ring sealed on the upper end of the flush valve seat portion.